Water/air treatment system

ABSTRACT

A water/air treatment system includes at least one water/air treatment unit, each water/air treatment unit including a water trough, a water pipe having a top end connected to a water source and a bottom end dipped in the water trough, and an expansion pipe suspending in the water pipe, the expansion pipe having a top end connected to a forced air source, a bottom end dipped in the water trough, and a plurality of air holes through the periphery for permitting forced ozone from the forced air source to flow out of the expansion pipe for mixing with water from the water source in water pipe so as to kill microbes and to exchange heat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to water/air treatment systems which achieve thefunctions of (1) purifying air with water, (2) purifying water withforced air, (3) cooling waste hot water and recovering waste heat byusing cold air, and (4) cooling waste hot air and recovering waste heatby using cold water.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In recent years, the application of machinery, motor vehicles,pesticides, etc., produces a variety of pollutants which pollute theenvironment. Various methods have been developed to purify water andair. For example, using wire gauge filter to filter water, using airfilter element to filter air, using ozone and oxychloride to killmicrobes in water and to remove smells from water and to reduce COD andBOD concentration in water. However, conventional water/air purifyingmethods are commonly not economic. Furthermore, conventional water/airpurifying methods cannot recover waste heat from waste hot water orwaste hot air.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. Itis the major object of the present invention to provide a water/airtreatment system which achieves the functions of (1) purifying air withwater, (2) purifying water with forced air, (3) cooling waste hot waterand recovering waste heat by using cold air, and (4) cooling waste hotair and recovering waste heat by using cold water. According to oneembodiment of the present invention, the water/air treatment systemcomprises a water trough, a water pipe having a top end connected to awater source and a bottom end dipped in the water trough, and anexpansion pipe suspending in the water pipe, the expansion pipe having atop end connected to a forced air source, a bottom end dipped in thewater trough, and a plurality of air holes through the periphery forpermitting forced ozone from the forced air source to flow out of theexpansion pipe for mixing with water from the water source in water pipeto kill microbes and to exchange heat.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of constructions andmethod, combination of elements, arrangement of parts and steps of themethod which will be exemplified in the constructions and methodhereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will beindicated in the claims following.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a water/air treatment system accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a partial view in an enlarged scale of FIG. 1A, showing aplurality of air holes made through the periphery of the expansion pipe;

FIG. 1C is an exploded view of a part of FIG. 1A, showing the positionof the bend on the water pipe;

FIG. 2A is a sectional view showing the plain bottom end of theexpansion pipe of the water/air treatment system of FIG. 1A dipped in awater trough;

FIG. 2B is an exploded view of a part of FIG. 2A, showing the positionof the screw cap on the plain bottom end of the expansion pipe;

FIG. 3 shows a water purifier made according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a medium scale water/air treatment systemaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a water controller according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the medium scale water/air treatmentsystem shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 shows two medium scale water/air treatment systems verticallyconnected in series according to the present invention; and

FIG. 8 shows two medium scale water/air treatment systems connected inparallel according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For purpose to promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated inthe drawings. Specific language will be used to describe same. It will,nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended, such alterations and furthermodifications in the illustrated device, and such further applicationsof the principles of the invention as illustrated herein beingcontemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to whichthe invention relates.

Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, a water/air treatment system inaccordance with the present invention comprises a water pipe 3 and anexpansion pipe 4 mounted in the water pipe 3. The water pipe 3 iscomprised of an upper section 31 and a lower section 32 welded together.The upper section 31 and the lower section 32 have a respectivehalf-round opening 33 matched with each other (see FIG. 1C). A bend 41is installed in the half-round openings 33 and retained between theupper section 31 and the lower section 32, having one end connected toan air intake pipe 42 outside the water pipe 3, and an opposite endconnected to one end of the expansion pipe 4 inside the water pipe 3(see FIG. 1C). The expansion pipe 4 is inserted into the water pipe 3and connected to the bend 41, having a plurality of fins 411 spacedaround the periphery at different elevations and stopped against theinside wall of the water pipe 3, a plurality of air holes 32 (or narrow,elongates air slots 43a) through the periphery, and a plain bottom end44 extended out of the water pipe 3. The fins 411 are designed to spacethe periphery of the expansion pipe 4 from the inside wall of the waterpipe 3 at the desired distance. The air holes 32 are made transverselyacross the periphery of the expansion pipe 4. Alternatively, the airholes 32 can be made obliquely through the periphery of the expansionpipe 4 (see FIG. 1B).

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the plain bottom end 44 of the expansionpipe 4 is covered with a screw cap 46 and dipped in a water trough 45.The screw cap 46 has a center through hole 47 of diameter bigger thanthat of the air holes 32 for permitting sediment to be expelled out ofthe expansion pipe 4 into the water trough 45. When water 49 flowsthrough the water pipe 3 into the water trough 45, a flow of air 48 isforced into the expansion pipe 4 through the air intake pipe 42. Whenthe flow of air 48 is forced into the expansion pipe 4, it immediatelyflows out of the expansion pipe 4 through the air holes 43 (or narrow,elongates air slots 43a). When air molecules 48a of the flow of air 48pass out of the expansion pipe 4, the downward flow of water 49 cutsthrough the air molecules 48a of the flow of air 48, causing them to bedissolved in water.

FIG. 3 shows an application of the aforesaid water/air treatment systemin a small water purifier 5. As illustrated, the water purifier 5comprises an upper shell 52 and a bottom shell 53 mounted around thewater pipe 3 and fixedly connected together. The water pipe 3 has a topend disposed outside the upper shell 52 and coupled with a hose 50,which is fastened to a water tap 56 by clamps 51. The screw cap 46 whichis mounted on the bottom end of the expansion pipe 4 is suspended in thewater trough 45 inside of the bottom shell 53 of the water purifier 5.When the water tap 56 is opened to let a flow of water flows through thewater purifier 5, a flow of oxygen-intensive gas, such as ozone oroxychloride is forced into the expansion pipe 4 to mix with water, andtherefore water is purified. This arrangement can effectively killmicrobes in water, removes bad smells from water, reduces COD and BODconcentration in water. Therefore, this structure of water purifier ispractical for use in kitchens, laboratories, hospitals, public toilets,etc. This arrangement can also be employed for use to purify air.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a medium scale water/air treatment system accordingto the present invention. This water/air treatment system comprises acylindrical casing 2, a top water trough 16 inside the cylindricalcasing 2 at the top, a hopper 17 connected to the bottom end of the topwater container 16 to guide water from it to a water container 19 below.The water container 19 has peripheral lugs 18 welded to the periphery ofthe hopper 17, permitting the reduced bottom end of the hopper 17 to bedipped in the water container 19 at about one third of the depththereof. A socket 11 is mounted inside the cylindrical casing 2 aroundthe water container 19, having a reduced bottom end connected to a waterpipe 3. The hopper 17, the water container 19, and the socket 11 form awater controller, which has a space defined between the socket 11 andthe water container 19 for letting overflow of water to pass from thewater container 19 into the water pipe 3. The water pipe 3 and theexpansion pipe 4, which is installed in the water pipe 3, are suspendedinside the cylindrical casing 2 and dipped in an intermediate watertrough 15. The intermediate water trough 15 is disposed above a bottomwater trough 14. A plurality of overflow pipes 13 are mounted in thepartition wall 21 between the bottom water trough 14 and theintermediate water trough 15. The bottom ends of the overflow pipes 13are respectively dipped in the bottom water trough 14. The top ends ofthe overflow pipes 13 are disposed at an elevation higher than thebottom end of the water pipe 3 for controlling the level of water A. Thetotal output capacity of the overflow pipes 13 is bigger than the waterintake capacity of the water pipe 3. A drain pipe 22 is mounted on thecylindrical casing 2 for guiding water out of the bottom water trough14. The drain pipe 22 determines the water level of the bottom watertrough 14. An air return pipe 12 is installed in the partition wall 21for guiding air from the bottom water trough 14 to the space inside thecylindrical casing 2 above the intermediate water trough 15. Water fromthe drain pipe 22 is filtered through a water gauge filter 22a and thenpumped to the top water trough 16 through a water return pipe 63 by awater pump 22b. Cleanout plugs 141 and 151 are respectively mounted onthe bottom water trough 14 and the intermediate water trough 15. Wastehot air may be guided through the air intake pipe 42 into the expansionpipe 4 for heat exchange with the downward flow of water, which fallsfrom the water container 19 to the intermediate water trough 15 throughthe water pipe 3. If the downward flow of water from the water container19 is waste hot water, cold air can be guided into the expansion pipe 4through the air intake pipe 42 to make heat exchange for waste-heatrecovery.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, an exhaust pipe 23 is mounted on thecylindrical casing 2 near the top end for guiding air out of thecylindrical casing 2. The diameter of the exhaust pipe 23 is bigger thanthat of the air intake pipe 42. A small water guide pipe 6 is providedfor guiding water from the top water trough 16 into the air intake pipe42. A water valve 61 is installed in the small water guide pipe 6 forcontrolling the flowrate of water passing through. The small water guidepipe 6 has a beveled bottom end 62 suspending in the air intake pipe 42.The cutting edge of the beveled bottom end 62 is disposed reversed tothe flowing direction of air passing through the air intake pipe 42.Therefore, water can be conveniently guided out of the small water guidepipe 6 to moisten air passing through the air intake pipe 42.

Referring to FIG. 6, an air blower 25 is controlled to drive currents ofair into the air intake pipe 42 through an air guide pipe 24; the drainpipe 22 is connected to a water circulation trough 27 through a firstwire gauge filter 26. Water from the drain pipe 22 is then filteredthrough a second wire gauge filter 26, and then pumped by a water pump29 into the top water trough 16 through the water return pipe 63.

FIG. 7 shows two medium scale water/air treatment systems a and bvertically connected in series. As illustrated, the exhaust pipe 71 ofthe first medium scale water/air treatment system a is connected to theair intake pipe 72 of the second medium scale water/air treatment systemb; a change valve 7 is connected between the air intake pipe 72 andexhaust pipe 73 of the second medium scale water/air treatment system b;the first medium scale water/air treatment system b eliminates theinstallation of the aforesaid water controller; the second medium scalewater/air treatment system b comprises a water trough 74 plugged ontothe bottom end of the water pipe 4 and supported on legs 75. Thiscombined system is suitable for use in factories and incinerators totreat waste water/waste gas.

FIG. 8 shows two medium scale water/air treatment systems c and dconnected in parallel, in which the top water troughs 76 of the twomedium scale water/air treatment systems c and d are connected by awater guide pipe 77. The output capacity of the water pump 29 must berelatively increased so that water can be efficiently pumped from thewater circulation trough 27 to the top water troughs 76.

As indicated, the present invention provides different scales ofwater/air treatment systems for different purposes. Basically, thepresent invention achieves the following functions:

(1) purifying air with water;

(2) purifying water with forced air;

(3) using cold air to cool waste hot water and to recover waste heatfrom waste hot water; and

(4) using cold water to cool waste hot air and to recover waste heatfrom waste hot air.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes could bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventiondisclosed.

The invention is naturally not limited in any sense to the particularfeatures specified in the forgoing or to the details of the particularembodiment which has been chosen in order to illustrate the invention.Consideration can be given to all kinds of variants of the particularembodiment which has been described by way of example and of itsconstituent elements without thereby departing from the scope of theinvention. This invention accordingly includes all the meansconstituting technical equivalents of the means described as well astheir combinations.

I claim:
 1. A water/air treatment system comprising at least one water/air treatment unit for (1) purifying air with water, (2) purifying water with forced air, (3) cooling waste hot water and recovering waste heat by using cold air, and (4) cooling waste hot air and recovering waste heat by using cold water, each water/air treatment unit comprising: a water trough, a water pipe having a top end connected to a water source and a bottom end dipped in said water trough, and an expansion pipe suspended within said water pipe, said expansion pipe having a top end connected to a forced air source, a bottom end dipped in said water trough, and a plurality of air holes through the periphery for permitting forced air from said forced air source to flow out of said expansion pipe for mixing with water from said water source in said water pipe, said expansion pipe having a top end connected to said forced air source through a bend, and a plain bottom end extended out of said water pipe and covered with a cap, said cap being suspended in water in said water trough, said cap having a center through hole.
 2. The water/air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said expansion pipe has a plurality of fins around the periphery and stopped against the inside wall of said water pipe. 